Stitch
by brandstifterin
Summary: After the events of 'Blood Money', Henrik Hanssen finds that some comfort and help comes from an unexpected source. A one-shot (now with a second chapter!) for Hadrians77 for the 50th review of 'The Next Step' :-)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: A one-shot dedicated to Hadrians77 in return for the 50th review for 'The Next Step'. I hope this meets with your approval :)

**I couldn't quite manage to think of anything fluffy and keep it vaguely within the realm of possibility, so I put my thinking hat on and this is what I've got. There's a slight bending of the truth in places but I've tried to keep it as true to the episode as possible. **

**This has also spawned an idea for another new story but that won't be up for a little while yet and I will try my best to get a move on with updating 'The Next Step' and dusting off 'Improper Conduct' too.**

**Enjoy. Usual disclaimers, yadda, yadda, yadda. **

"Just when you thought all the good guys were gone..."

Serena Campbell watches the news on the TV with the other members of staff on Keller ward, standing next to Michael Spence at the back of the room. After hearing the American's comment about Hanssen's actions she feels the urge to speak to the man of the moment.

He had the perfect opportunity to hang her out to dry but he hasn't done so, instead choosing to appear on the local news with Richie Mooney's son and issue a public apology for her non-referal scheme. Even if it looks like it pains him to do so, Serena frowns a little at Hanssen's expression, it probably wouldn't be noticeable to anyone else but since she started at Holby, Serena has been very careful to pay as close attention to Hanssen as she can to gauge the enigmatic man's responses, a tactic which has worked in her favour on several occasions. She knows that she owes him and she knows that she needs to tell him that he can count on her support over the next few weeks.

Serena slips out, unnoticed before the end of the interview and makes her way up the now familiar stairs to the fifth floor. As she appears from the stairwell onto the landing, she sees Hanssen's business manager, George Binns, waiting for the lift.

"Good afternoon, Mr..." She pauses deliberately, making the small man feel uncomfortable. She knows his name, of course she does but it's been clear from day one that the man is out of his depth and Serena is determined to reinforce that message now by alluding that she doesn't consider him important enough to warrant remembering his name. Also, by making him respond to her, he concedes the power and momentum in the conversation to her and power is the name of her game. She smiles politely as he falls into her trap.

"Binns... George Binns." She has to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the ridiculous James Bond impression combined with the five foot man's attempt at puffing himself up.

"Of course," Serena's smile turns predatory and she's gratified to see Mr. Binns take half a step back. "Tell me, Mr. Binns, what did you make of our illustrious leader's fifteen minutes of fame this afternoon?" Within a minute Serena has the information she wants and isn't surprised to find out that Binns has jumped ship.

As he steps into the lift, Serena can't help but tell him so. "At least now at the top it'll be just the adults around, now the children have left Hamelin."

"But we're in Holby..." His confused face has her rolling her eyes, 'the man's an idiot' she thinks, 'why on earth did Hanssen hire him?'.

"Yes, _we_ are." She turns and heads towards Hanssen's office without another word to the ex-business manager and knocks on the door and waits for Hanssen to answer. She tilts her head and scrutinises the door in front of her. Binns told her that Hanssen was in his office, having just come from there to resign and there is no way that the tall Director of Surgery could have escaped unnoticed in the ten paces from the lift to Hanssen's office door.

She knocks again, more firmly this time, wondering if he just hadn't heard her before. Unaccustomed to being kept waiting, Serena twists the door handle to open the office and walk in anyway only to find the door is locked.

"What on earth?" She mutters to herself under her breath, she has never known Hanssen to lock his office door before and certainly not to lock himself in the office if that is what he has done. He doesn't appear to be in his office now which suggests that Binns wasn't telling the truth.

Her mobile phone vibrates with an incoming text message and Serena absent-mindedly removes the phone from her long cardigan pocket to see who the sender is. It's O2 and she sneers at the phone in response. She is about to replace her phone when she decides to ring Hanssen to find out where he is.

As the call connects, she hears a mobile phone ringtone start to play in the office, she assumes that is Hanssen's mobile ringing. She holds the phone away from her ear for a moment, listening to the door and the office beyond, she'd thought she heard movement but she couldn't be certain.

She stares at her phone as her call transfers to voice mail. She cancels the call, declining to leave a message. She isn't sure now whether Hanssen has left the phone in his office, locked it and gone elsewhere until the fallout and fuss from his TV apology has died down a bit. She hopes that is the case, the alternative, that Hanssen has locked himself in his office and is unable or unwilling to answer his phone or the door doesn't bode well.

Serena feels a bit ridiculous, stood in the middle of the corridor on the fifth floor and puts her hands into her pockets, replacing her phone with one hand and she feels her other hand close around another object in her pocket. An idea forms as she picks up the object out of her pocket and looks at it in her hand before putting it to use.

Hanssen is just about to start stitching closed the wound from the nail gun in his stomach when there is a knock at the door which startles him and makes Hanssen jump. He glares at the door, hoping that whoever it is will leave him alone. He finds himself holding still to the extent that he's holding his breath in the hope that whoever his unwanted visitor is will take the silence as a hint.

He waits for half a dozen heartbeats before allowing himself to relax. Hanssen returns his attention to the needle in his hand and begins again, using his left hand to pinch the edges of the wound together and he guides the needle to the skin with his right hand.

"Shit." He curses quietly and drops the needle to the carpeted floor as his unwanted but seemingly persistent visitor knocks again and then tries the door handle only to discover it's locked. Hanssen is relieved that he took the precaution to lock it before he began. He watches the door warily, hoping to see the silhouette of someone as they walk past the frosted glass away from his office.

Seconds pass and Hanssen remains tense, half bent over his desk, his stomach really starting to hurt where he'd been stabbed, the adrenaline from earlier which had been masking the pain was wearing off. Suddenly, without warning a noise emanates from his jacket which is hung up on the back of his chair. The sound makes him wrench around in surprise, almost gasping in pain as he does so, the movement pulling on his damaged abdominal muscles. His mobile phone is ringing and he fumbles with his jacket, attempting to acquire it but dropping it to the floor in his haste.

Whoever is standing outside his office is almost certain to have heard the phone ring. After a moment he finally locates his phone, glancing at the screen before rejecting the call.

'1 missed call - Serena Campbell'

He scowls at the phone and silences the damned thing before she can ring him again and give him away. Even if there wasn't someone stood outside his office door right now he would not want to speak to the woman anyway. It was her bloody system which has led to this whole mess anyway, Hanssen would have thought that she would have been wise enough to keep her head down and stay away from him until the storm passes. Still glaring at his phone as if it had personally offended him, Hanssen stabs at the power button, deciding to turn it off.

In the confusion with his phone, Hanssen is unaware of whether his persistent visitor has left, he didn't see any movement past the windows and hopes that he just missed them leaving. Pressing his left hand over the wound, he is aware that his sudden movement for the phone has reopened the wound and made it bleed again, the tell-tale red stain again beginning to soak into the once white material of his shirt. He frowns at the sight and curses Ms. Campbell silently.

Hanssen is thinking about how he is going to get to his spare shirt in his car without anyone stopping him, seeing him or questioning why he needs it. He certainly can't walk around in this blood stained one for much longer nor can he change into a set of scrubs. He still hasn't reached a decision when his pager goes off.

Serena picks up the pager she carries in her pocket at all times, eyeing it for a moment before putting it to use and paging the Director of Surgery. He might not be in his room with his mobile phone, but he will have his pager with him. Almost immediately, the tell-tale beeping of a pager resonates from inside the locked office. Serena frowns, her expression one of confusion initially before it turns to suspicion, eyes narrowed, she considers the door and by extension the man she is almost certain is behind it.

"Mr. Hanssen!" She knocks firmly on the door for a third time and she listens carefully to the office to hear what sounds like footsteps approaching the other side of the door, the sound likely muffled by the carpet in the room. A moment after the footsteps stop the door is unlocked and thrust open, the tall Swede filling the doorway; he makes no move to allow her access to his office and regards her with a mixture of frustration and weariness.

"What, Ms. Campbell, have you deemed so vital that you have attempted to repeatedly interrupt me?" His words break her gaze away from his buttoned jacket before she can work out what seems different up to his face which looks tired. His look of fatigue and his slightly gravelly voice combine to paint a picture of a man who is under a fair amount of stress and Serena wonders why she or no-one else had noticed or even bothered to notice.

"May I come in?" She asks, tilting her head a little to pointedly indicate the fact that he is blocking her entrance into the office beyond. He ignores her gesture to her annoyance.

"I'll repeat my question then. What, Ms. Campbell, have you deemed so vital that you have attempted to repeatedly interrupt me?" She lets him finish, she had momentarily forgotten that Hanssen is also a master manipulator and would not be susceptible to the same ploys as that idiot, Binns, had been.

However, Serena considers Hanssen whilst he is speaking to her, appearing every inch as bored as his tone of voice indicates; master manipulator or not, he is still the Director of Surgery and is somewhat restricted by having to maintain certain appearances.

"I'm sure you don't want to have this conversation in the hallway, Henrik..." She smiles at him; he would know that her apparent concern isn't as sincere as it would be coming from someone else but they both know he wouldn't be able to prove it. With as much ill grace as he can muster whilst still keeping to this side of polite, Hanssen steps to the side, giving just enough space for Serena to enter the office.

Serena squeezes past him, frowning little when she hears him stifle a gasp as she lightly brushes him with her arm. She is aware that he whirls away to shut the office door as she makes her way to his desk, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Serena is listening to the door click shut and is a little relieved not to hear the lock being engaged. Waiting for him to make his way to the desk, she catches sight of an unexpected glint of silver by his chair but before she can investigate, Hanssen interrupts her.

"Make yourself at home, Ms. Campbell." He awkwardly waves his arm, his left arm, Serena notices, at the chair she is already sitting in but he remains standing himself. Although she doesn't know quite what it is, she knows that something is up with the enigmatic Swede in front of her.

"Is..." She pauses and rephrases her question, aware of who she is speaking to, "are you okay, Henrik?" He gives her a withering glare which would work wonders on scaring an F1. Serena is equal to the task of meeting his gaze, her expression one of concern which doesn't falter in the glare of Hanssen's annoyance.

"Why would I be anything other than okay, Ms. Campbell." Serena knows it isn't a question, rather a statement. "Then again, you are not the one dealing with the fall out of your non-referral scheme, are you?"

"I saw your statement on the news, the apology to the son..."

"Such a comfort for him, I'm sure. Makes up for his father's death, wouldn't you say?"

"He accepted the compensation, there's nothing more he can say." Serena explains as if to a child, wondering what has caused this change of opinion in the man in front of her.

"Say? No." Serena is certain that she sees Hanssen wince as he turns away to face the window in his office but before he completes the movement, Serena does see his hand unconsciously forming a protective cover for his torso, the same part that she accidentally brushed against as she entered the office.

Searching for something to say, Serena talks about the first thing that pops into her mind, her words masking the sound of getting up and walking over to stand behind Hanssen.

"Talking of pointless; I met Mr. Binns on the way here. No surprise that he has gone." By the time that Hanssen snorts quietly in response, Serena is close enough to see his slightly pained expression in the window reflection. She puts a hand on his back, letting it gently come to rest just below his shoulder blade, the unexpected contact makes the man jump.

"Even an F1 would be able to tell that that movement hurts you." Serena brings her other hand up to steady him and turns him so that Hanssen has his back to the wall "What's happened, Henrik?" Serena notes that his face is more pale than usual and she can see that he is perspiring a bit, that, combined with the way that Hanssen is leaning against the wall for support makes her concerned for the stubborn and stoic man.

He doesn't answer her and she doesn't ask him again, switching into medical mode, she assesses the scene in front of her, information she has subconsciously stored is now helping to create a picture of what might have happened to him. The way he was holding his arm over his torso would suggest that he has taken a blow, punched perhaps? She needs to examine him, to determine whether he has any broken ribs or any internal damage.

Batting Hanssen's hands away from his torso, she unbuttons his jacket, intending to assess the injured area, checking for any possible fractures or swelling. Serena pulls the material aside and she gasps at the completely unexpected red stain which is covering a good deal of Hanssen's once white shirt.

When his pager goes off, Hanssen knows that whoever it is outside knows that he is indeed in the office, whilst he may have left his phone in his office, he wouldn't go anywhere without his pager. He leans back into his office chair and buttons up his shirt and then gingerly puts his jacket on, careful that when it's buttoned it covers up the red blood stain.

Making his way over to the office door, Hanssen realises that he hasn't checked who has paged him, he hopes that his summons are not related to Mr. Hope's patient and he unclasps his pager from his belt. 'Ms. Campbell again' he makes a frustrated face before blanking his features and unlocking the office door, resigned to speaking to whoever is waiting for him.

When Hanssen opens the door, he is not surprised to see Ms. Campbell standing in the corridor outside of his office; he probably should have known it was her. He doesn't want to speak to her and allows his expression to show his annoyance.

"What, Ms. Campbell, have you deemed so vital that you have attempted to repeatedly interrupt me?" He stands in the doorway, not allowing her into his office, determined to get rid of her as quickly as he can. He sees her gaze flicker from his torso up to his face when he starts speaking. Unconsciously he straightens a little, not only finding her scrutiny uncomfortable but he doesn't want her to suspect that anything is amiss with him.

"May I come in?" 'No', he thinks, 'you bloody well cannot' and his eyes narrow in suspicion at Serena's request, he makes no move to allow her entrance into his sanctuary. All he wants is to be left alone to sort himself out and to do his work. Right thing to do or not, Hanssen is starting to see the folly of his earlier public apology, soon enough he'll have no peace but until then he doesn't want any unnecessary disturbances. He registers the flicker of annoyance which passes over her face but it doesn't move him.

"I'll repeat my question then. What, Ms. Campbell, have you deemed so vital that you have attempted to repeatedly interrupt me?" He tries not to frown, not to show any reaction to Serena's calculating look but the smile which appears on her face unnerves him more.

"I'm sure you don't want to have this conversation in the hallway, Henrik..." He bristles at the overly familiar use of his name. She hasn't earned that right and her assumption about what he wants or rather what he doesn't want is unwanted and he is about to respond and tell her as much when it occurs to him that she may be correct; he is the Director of Surgery and there are certain expectations of him, arguing in the corridor outside his office with a senior consultant is not one of them.

It galls him that she has seen fit to manipulate him in this way and that he has fallen for it, so with as much disdain as he has the energy to manage, he steps aside, giving barely enough room for the woman to enter. He realises his mistake as she passes by him, her arm catching his injured torso and he barely manges to suppress a gasp of pain.

To his relief, Serena makes no mention of having heard him and she heads into his office. He turns back to the door and debates about the lock for a moment before he decides to leave it; he wants to get rid of her as soon as possible.

He walks back slowly but doesn't sit down, the process is too painful at the moment and that would raise alarm bells to the ever-observant Ms. Campbell. He sees that she is already sitting in one of the chairs he keeps on the other side of his desk but that her attention has been caught by something. Hanssen hopes that it isn't the needle he was about to use. He decides to distract her before she finds out something that he really doesn't want her to.

"Make yourself at home, Ms. Campbell." He is forced to gesture with his left arm and it annoys him, the way her eyes immediately lock onto the awkward motion. He curses and allows his frustration to show in his answers to her questions, not actually answering her question about him. When she explains how because the son accepted the compensation that was the end of the matter, Hanssen turns away in disgust, the movement hurting him, making him wince and clasp his side.

He isn't able to hide his pain when she makes him jump, placing her hand on his back and he isn't capable of fighting against her turning him until he's facing her. He doesn't answer her question about what happened to him, it has nothing to do with her. Hanssen puts up a token protest when Serena bats away his hands from their protective position over his jacket, but undeterred, Serena repeats the process. She's in full-on doctor mode and determined to treat him, her patient. Hanssen capitulates to Serena's demands, hating the way he is about to feel and be exposed in front of her. If he had had his way, had any control over the situation, he wouldn't have anyone here to see this, the brunt he has borne of Mooney's son's grief.

If it had to be anyone, Hanssen supposes that Mr. Hope would have been his first choice, strange, considering how badly their professional relationship started off. He feels a sense of resignation and defeat as Serena pulls aside his jacket and he tries to look dispassionate as he stares down at her whilst leaning back against the wall for support. Hanssen avoids Serena's stare and looks at himself, not surprised that the red stain is bigger now than earlier.

"Good God, Henrik." He notes that she sounds concerned, about him. Then again disinterest is highly unlikely to be prevalent at the discovery of an unexpected stab wound. The concern in her voice both soothes and disturbs him.

"Sit down," she manoeuvres him to his chair and forces him to sit down, he lowers himself gingerly into the chair and he watches her kneel in front of him, making him feel a little uncomfortable for a moment before she tells him "don't move."

She instructs before crossing the office floor once more to the door. Hanssen's immediate response is concern that she will leave and report this incident to someone and he's about to rise to move after he when she stops at the office door and turning the key that is still in the door, she locks it. He relaxes.

Serena gasps as she pulls aside the material of Hanssen's jacket. She was certainly not expecting the blood stain. No longer concerned with the fact that Hanssen is her boss, in her mind, the man in front of her has just become her patient. She manoeuvres him from the wall to his chair. Serena watches as he gingerly lowers himself into it, following him and kneeling in front of him.

Serena, momentarily distracted by the view in front of her, considers the way that she is knelt in front of Hanssen, between his legs, her mind unbuttoning his shirt and she shakes her head, trying to refocus her thoughts and hopes that she isn't blushing, if someone was to walk in now... Realising that the office door is still unlocked, she instructs him to keep sat down and she locks the door, too focussed to be amused by his silent compliance with her instructions.

Returning to his side of the desk, Serena gets a better look at the silver item which caught her attention earlier and she holds it up in Hanssen's line of sight.

"Planning to use this on yourself?" He doesn't answer, not that she expects him to and his gaze remains locked with hers, defiant. After a few seconds, Serena averts her eyes, her focus returning to Hanssen's bloodstained shirt, her mind assessing the location of the wound and possible complications.

"How long since this happened to you?" She asks, surprised when she doesn't get an answer, Serena tilts her head to look at Hanssen's face again. He shrugs and Serena feels a flash of annoyance at him which she attempts to temper. An exasperated sigh escapes and she reaches out to begin to unbutton his shirt and see the state of the wound for herself only for his hands to still hers, holding them in place against his. She can feel the steady heartbeat and it reminds her again that he is human.

"That is not necessary, Ms. Campbell."

"It's absolutely necessary." 'What is wrong with the man?' She questions herself, 'of course it's necessary' and she knows that he knows that.

"Your concern, although unwanted is acknowledged, now I would appreciate it..." She wonders if it really is as simple as Hanssen not knowing how to accept concern or help or whether it is her presence that he objects to.

"Mr. Hanssen," Serena's voice is firm and it stops Hanssen mid-sentence, "I can either sort this out for you here in the privacy of your office or we will go down onto Keller and it can be done there if you object to my treating you? It's your choice." Serena's eyebrows raise, daring him to challenge her.

When he doesn't respond verbally, Serena reaches out her hands to unbutton his shirt, trying to stifle the flash of something she feels in response to the enigmatic Swede slowly being revealed to her, refusing to view him with anything other than a clinical eye.

After ascertaining that his injuries are limited to the one location, Serena assesses the wounds and her question about what caused this are also unanswered to her frustration. Although it's undoubtedly painful, the wound appears to be relatively superficial in nature and stitches should be sufficient for treatment.

The sight of a woman leaning down to assess his injury while he sits compliantly in a chair, submitting to her ministrations leaves a bitter sweet taste in Hanssen's mouth. When he and Sahira Shah were working at Colchester together, he'd once slipped on a piece of ice in the hospital car park and had cut and grazed himself, bleeding all over Sahira who forfeited her night out to tend to him. He can admit to himself now that that was the event and the night which sealed his fate and with a pang he recalls the end of their friendship back in April.

_'just crawl back into your private, little isolated hell and let's pretend that we were never friends'_

Hanssen is glad that Serena, who is still examining the wound obviously mistakes his intake of breath for physical pain and apologises, instead of prying for further details.

"So, care to explain yet how you ended up with these?" She waves her hand in the direction of the puncture marks and raises her eyes to his and for once Hanssen can't detect anything other than concern for her patient in them. That annoys him, the Ms. Campbell he has become accustomed to isn't kneeling next to him, tending to him and offering him some measure of comfort which he is sorely tempted to accept and it concerns him that he doesn't know what to do.

"A difference of opinion." He offers and hopes that Serena's questioning will let up.

"Don't be daft," she admonishes him instantly and a voice in Hanssen's head tells him 'I told you so', "we have differences of opinions almost daily but we don't go around stabbing one another." 'Only in the back' thinks Hanssen reflexively and in weeks to come he will wryly recall how prophetic that statement turned out to be.

He inhales sharply as Serena applies a liberal amount of cold antiseptic and starts to clean the wounds. He tries to ignore the feeling of her hands on him, gentle but firmly healing him, Hanssen almost snorts out loud in response to the ridiculousness of his own thought. He concedes that it's been so long since someone offered any kind of support or comfort to him that he finds he cannot be certain how to react but he's sure that his response is not correct. However, now he has had a taste of the offered comfort, he finds he wants more.

"A fact I dare say our recently departed Mr. Binns would have been most relieved to know." Hanssen finds he likes the smirk which finds its way onto her face before she turns away to prepare the needle. As he waits, he lets his eyes travel over the woman in front of him, taking care to avert his eyes before she can catch him looking at her, he doesn't know how she would react to that and she certainly doesn't want her associating him in her mind with someone like Michael Spence. Glancing down at his stomach, Hanssen suddenly feels quite exposed and regrets allowing the woman this far.

He must have been looking a little apprehensive because Serena amusedly reassures him that "I've done this a thousand times – you'll be fine, don't look so worried." The hand she trails down his right arm in an attempt at reassurance elicits goosebumps as well as faint but definite stirrings of arousal, he furiously tempers that reaction, ignoring the way that her fingers ghost over his skin, dancing around the wound.

He looks away, Hanssen does not want this committed to memory to plague him as will invariably do and so he studies the ceiling tiles in his office as he finally feels the needle bite, trying not to think about the last time someone touched him.

"All done and not a bad job if I say so myself." Tilting his head slightly to examine Serena's handiwork, Hanssen has to concede that she's done an acceptable job, with minimal scarring likely, not that he is vain enough to be concerned by a small scar.

"Thank you, Ms. Campbell." He sounds tired to himself and just wants to sleep for a couple of hours, the excitement and tension of the past few days starting to catch up with him.

"Is there anyone I can call for you?" She asks him the question that he had hoped to avoid. Having spent a couple of decades asking patients the same one, he is able to discern an awful lot about someone's life by their often one-word answers. He is sure that Ms. Campbell is capable of the same deductions and he reluctantly answers.

"No, no-one, thank you, I'll be fine" Hanssen gingerly stands to begin the process of re-buttoning his shirt as hastily as possible.

"You need to rest now." Serena insists and Hanssen finds he has no objections, she puts her arm around him, careful to avoid his injured area. Hanssen surprises both of them by pulling her into an embrace.

"Thank you, Serena." Her name sounds foreign on his tongue but it seems more appropriate given the circumstances of the moment. She returns his hug briefly before insisting that he needs to rest and she leads him to his sofa, retrieving his jacket and draping it over him. He's aware that she stands there as his eyes get heavier and he is asleep within a minute.

When Hanssen wakes, a couple of hours later, he finds the blinds drawn and his office dark. He lies still for a minute until the day's events return to him and he rolls sideways off the sofa rather than sitting up to reduce the stress on his wound. Peeling his shirt aside he is glad to see that the plaster does not indicate that the wound has reopened.

Although the non-referral scheme has proven not to be the correct course of action, apologising for it was the right thing to do and Ms. Campbell's unexpected actions today confirm his belief that everything will work out for the best.

**Well! Let me know what you think, I did originally write a slightly different ending but took it out at the last minute and I may post it as a second chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Usual disclaimers apply. I enjoyed writing Stitch so I thought I'd add a second chapter for it from Hanssen's POV of some of the events of the last few days of his tenure at Holby. I'm aware I'm probably mangling the time-line again but hey ho just ignore that tiny detail and it'll be fine :-)**

Chapter Two

Hanssen is sat in the business class lounge at Heathrow airport in London, waiting for his flight to Arlanda airport in Stockholm to start boarding. He has his laptop with him in his hand luggage to do some work but it remains in his briefcase, untouched. Slumped back in his chair, Hanssen holds an unopened bottle of water in one hand, watching the condensation collect and drip down the side, every so often tracing the moisture with a finger absent-mindedly.

If anyone who knew him or worked with him saw him now, they would be disconcerted at the very least at the change in him, at his current appearance. However, in the airport lounge he barely garners a reaction, his appearance not dissimilar to the other weary occupants who share the room. He looks like any of the suited businessmen waiting to fly to Sweden.

Hanssen is sat at one side of the room, with his back against the wall - he dismissed the symbolism of his current position as soon as it occurred to him and how it reflected his last fortnight at Holby. He has chosen his current location for having the added benefit of being as far away from the bar as he can so that the likelihood of someone sitting near him by accident is reduced.

The source of his angst is the mobile phone now balanced on his right knee which is currently switched off. It's been turned off almost constantly since he left Holby, not having any desire to imagine or respond to any of the messages which may have been left for him. For some reason, Hanssen decided to turn it on not long after he sat down, nearly thirty minutes ago and since then he has been in this funk, brooding and contemplating recent events.

Staring unseeingly at the room around him and its occupants, Hanssen has been turning memories around, dissecting and replaying them, trying to find some answers. His gaze flickers onto his phone for a moment and he considers it. Although the phone's screen is now blank, Hanssen can still see the information and the message from Ric Griffin which has affected him.

_'Serena acting CEO?'_

Serena acting CEO. Serena Campbell, acting CEO of Holby General. The woman whose non-referral policy led to the whole disaster, to the death of Richie Mooney; the woman who put him in the unenviable position of having to issue a public apology; the woman who appeared to care and tend for him in the aftermath of the son's attack on him; the woman who he saw speaking to Terrance Cunningham, the chairman of the board on several occasions is the woman who stabbed him in the back and now has his job.

Hanssen feels betrayed and he feels used. She had seen him at his weakest for years and now she has his job. Outwardly, Hanssen sighs a little, his gaze meandering between the other occupants of the airport lounge but inwardly he's seething, the majority of his frustration and anger directed at himself.

He delves again into the memories of the past few weeks, wondering if she had out manipulated him or if he had missed some kind of clue. Heavens knows he'd missed enough clues from Sahira over the years but she would at least let him know (when she'd calmed down) unlike 'Ms. Campbell, acting CEO'. Patiently explaining his error, Sahira's explanations had, at times, been a lifeline. Of course, it didn't hurt that it meant they spent more time together as a result.

Hanssen's thoughts linger on Sahira for a moment; he's been determined not to think of her since she left him in Holby back in April, banishing her to a dark part of him mind in order to function like a normal human being at work and not reveal how those events had affected him.

_'just crawl back into your private, little isolated hell and let's pretend that we were never friends' _

Since it had occurred to him when Serena Campbell was stitching his wounds, he's turned that memory over in his mind, '_don't email me, don't write to me_' but he notes the absence of an instruction not to visit her. Perhaps when he's back in England, after he leaves Sweden, he'll make a long-overdue trip to Nottingham.

* * *

Hanssen wasn't sure how to act around Ms. Campbell in the days that followed her treating his injuries. By the time he made it home that night, his mind had changed, twice. In the awkward moment which followed him hastily buttoning his bloodstained shirt, an invitation to dinner had been on the tip of his tongue but he hadn't asked her and since then he'd talked himself out of the invitation. He would have liked the opportunity to speak to her, regarding her actions towards him, to thank her and perhaps use the possible ceasefire in hostilities to his advantage; he'd be a fool to miss the chance of acquiring an ally like her at this moment in time.

The night which followed was decidedly uncomfortable, he struggled to find any sleeping position which didn't pull in some way on his injuries and as a result, he'd had little sleep by the time that Hanssen needed to get up. The sleep he did achieve was affected by the painkilling medicine he'd taken in desperation around 3am and the uneasy sleep he fell into was rife with replays of his attack and a variety of outcomes of Serena's actions.

He was sorely tempted to take the day off or work from home, irrelevant of how that looked to other people; he only had to answer to the board officially and if they asked, he had an unfortunate reason which would trump any concern, not that he had any intention of using it. However, by the time he had finished contemplating his options, he'd found himself in his car on the Holby ring road, on his way to work.

To his relief, Serena wasn't working until Sunday, which Hanssen had off and so he had several days to work out how to face her. Although he is almost running on empty in terms of sleep, Hanssen is sufficiently removed from the situation and thinking clearly enough now to know that dinner or anything other than the slightly cool, antagonistic professional relationship they have s out of the question. He has no desire to offer himself up as some kind of sacrifice to her and in a moment of cynicism he compares her to a praying mantis.

Standing in his office, staring out of the window to collect his thoughts, Hanssen finds he is more than a little amused by the amount of relief he feels at the thought that Ms. Campbell and Ms. Beauchamp never worked together. That would almost certainly be one battle too far and he smirks a little as he contemplates that being sacrificed would be a welcome ending in that instance.

The smirk fades a little as he admits to himself that he is currently feeling too old and tired for all the machinations; the attack seems to have hurt more than his body, he is confused and uncertain at the moment. Professionally, he doesn't know his next move and isn't sure of his current position. Personally, Hanssen barely recognises himself in the mirror these days.

The first time he sees Ms. Campbell after she left him sleeping in his office is when they are both on Keller ward. He has turned away from the nurses' station, stalking silently across the ward with his appendectomy list in hand and feeling mocked by Mr. Dawson's efforts at 'creativity' at his expense. Hanssen figures that he isn't certain whether he's more upset at the video being shared on the intranet for everyone to access and view or whether its existence in the first place bothers him more.

"Thank you for your feedback." As he mockingly replies to Ric's offer of verbal support thinking to himself that words are meaningless without action, Hanssen resolves to have a chat with Mr. Dawson at some point soon and he strides away, hating the attention. As his focus returns to the ward, he catches sight of a red flowing shirt and recognises Ms. Campbell as she makes her way to meet him.

Although Hanssen is glad that Serena makes no reference to the incident, her quick glance to the left hand side of his torso doesn't go unnoticed by him and he can't help but feel a little uncomfortable at the reminder.

"Ah, has your firefighter arrived yet?" Hanssen slows to a stop next to her, wondering initially what she was talking about, perhaps he'd misheard her until it clicks.

"As ever, news travels fast. Perhaps you'd care to join us?" His response has multiple layers and he hopes that Serena picks up on what he isn't asking outright. He doesn't meet her gaze, choosing instead to concentrate on the blue folders she has in her arms.

"Why not? I am quite good at this sort of thing." He smiles a little, pleased that she seems to understand his concern and responds in kind, the dual meaning of their conversation hidden to all but the two of them. He keeps looking ahead of him, aware that she's trying to work him out, work out how he is coping. He's fine. He moves a step ahead of her, telling her to assume the role of peace keeper and to take them out to lunch to pacify them before moving off until Serena's words pull him back.

"Yeah, I think it's a tad more serious than that." 'Of course you do' is his initial response but he tempers it, turning around to face her, using his body to issue the challenge.

"I don't think it is." He looks down at her, mask firmly in place, tone casual but his double meaning perfectly clear to her. She sidesteps his challenge by informing him of the Wyvern Post's website.

They travel to Hanssen's office in silence, he manages to sneak the odd glance at her in the lift out of the corner of his eye, wondering what to make of her. He watches the video with her standing over him, relieved by the show of support she offers.

"So what do we do?"

"We do not rise to provocation." He isn't as concerned as Serena appears to be after watching the video, the man's claims are untrue and they have documented evidence to support themselves. He meets Serena's confused gaze before turning to face the door and after a moment, it opens.

Hanssen appreciates Serena's outbursts on his behalf, aside from Sahira, he isn't used to anyone defending him. He ignores Serena's sharp look at him when he adjusts his suit jacket, taking a moment to ensure that the stitches, even though he knows they aren't visible, can't be seen.

Eventually they leave the woman from Comms behind and make their way together back to Keller to escape from her. In the lift, Serena puts her hand on his forearm and Hanssen tries to not start at the contact, "how are you?"

"The stitches are healing sufficiently, thank you, Ms. Campbell." His tone is polite and a little reserved.

"You know that wasn't entirely what I meant, Mr. Hanssen." She scolds him lightly, both knowing that he was perfectly aware of what she was referring to. He doesn't answer and she resignedly squeezes his forearm once more before removing her hand as the doors to the lift open onto Keller. Hanssen feels a little comforted by Serena's actions but can't bring himself to tell her.

As they make their way onto the ward, they are approached by one of the nurses. Hanssen tunes out the conversation after he snaps out a comment about 'hilarious new footage of him', looking around the ward instead. As Hanssen's spirits and expression sinks, he briefly meets Serena's eyes and sees his frustration mirrored in her face. He suspects that the day is going to end up becoming worse and worse from this point and he knows that he doesn't require eyes in the back of his head of see Serena's incredulous response as he plucks the file out of her arms and strides over to meet Mr. Tilly and his journalist.

* * *

The meeting was dragging on and Hanssen was starting to get a little angsty that none of the senior consultants sitting in the room with him seemed to appreciate the urgency of his plan. If he is honest, he doesn't know what Mr. Cunningham, the chairman of the board has in store for him and he isn't sure if he'll still be here to see the month out let alone the year. Regardless, it is vital that this money is used for the good of the patients rather than frittered away elsewhere or all of the cuts and redundancies that he has been forced to make over the past couple of years are for nought.

He glances around the room at each of the faces, imploring them to understand what it is he is saying as well as what it is that he is not saying, "...and I would like those ideas by the end of the day, please."

"Mr. Hanssen, forgive me, but has this money been ring fenced with the board's approval?" He pauses for a moment and regards Ms. Campbell, the source of the interruption before smoothly replying.

"The board are aware of my intentions, yes."

"But not the speed at which you intend to progress them?" He is relieved that someone has picked up on the urgency of the matter. He takes a moment longer to collect his thoughts, to impress upon them them how important the accelerated timeline is, but before he can reply, Jac Naylor has spoken up.

"Does it matter as long as the money's there?" Hanssen sighs imperceptibly, knowing that isn't the best option to use with the other woman and isn't the most important point.

"Well, we have to be completely transparent and respect the process, so I would like to lodge my objection." He feels a little disappointed that she feels the need to object and doesn't seem willing to admit she understands his urgency. Their black and white meeting in the aftermath of Richie Mooney's son is over and they're back to professional chess and Hanssen supposes that some of that is his fault.

"Duly noted. Anyone else?" He can't help a small smile at the willingness of the others, even if it is only because he has potential funding for them. "Then I won't waste any more of your valuable time." After the meeting has adjourned, Hanssen remains seated, watching Michael Spence et al. leave out of the corner of his eye, quick to escape and return to their wards. From the end of the room to his left, Ms. Campbell takes a few moments longer to gather her belongings to leave and before she can escape the room, he calls her back.

"Ms. Campbell," there are two things he wishes to discuss with her but a quick glance to his left suggests that Mr. Hope shows no inclination to leave and Hanssen will have to seek out Ms. Campbell later, "one more thing. From next week you will be working on AAU."

"Excuse me?" The response is immediate and Hanssen, aware of Mr. Hope lurking behind, searches for something to say, to placate her immediate concerns and reassure her that he will explain his reasoning; after her actions previously in his office, she deserves that much from him.

He can't miss the flicker of hurt in Serena's eyes as she misinterprets his decision. 'Can't you see?' he wants to ask her, 'or won't you see how this move is currently advantageous for you, a move away from the spotlight?'

"Oh, I think when you see the figures, you will agree that this is the most cost-effective approach and I know that that is most important to you." He speaks indifferently deliberately and is waiting for the inevitable disagreement so Hanssen can suggest a meeting in his office.

It would be a transparent attempt to get her alone but he doesn't believe that Mr. Hope would pick up on it. Apparently not in the mood to play along, Serena leaves, throwing him a look of disgust as she exits. Hanssen exhales softly, annoyed he hadn't had the opportunity to explain to her and wondering what damage he's done to their tentative alliance as a result.

He is still looking at the door when Mr. Hope finally speaks, asking him if everything is alright. Hanssen can't help but smile self-deprecatingly at Elliott's question, 'no, everything is not alright'.

* * *

On the day that Mr. Cunningham's daughter is admitted to Darwin ward, Hanssen finds he has a hundred things which require his attention on top of the daily demands from being a senior consultant, CEO and Director of Surgery of a Foundation Trust hospital the size of Holby General. He is therefore utterly unprepared for Ms. Campbell's ambush when he walks along the corridor by AAU.

"Ah, Mr. Hanssen, I'm awfully glad to see you." He had been meaning to schedule a meeting with her, to explain his decision about the transfer to AAU but with each passing hour, new issues seem to arise which conspire to divert his attention from her. "I'm afraid I don't think it's going to work for me down here."

"What isn't?" Her opening statement doesn't make sense to him and he seeks clarification.

"Me and Michael Spence, we're oil and water, we don't mesh."

"Really?" It's been less than a day and Hanssen doesn't have the time.

"Really. He's already suspended our new CT1." That captures his attention momentarily, wondering what has happened on AAU and then questioning whether he actually wants to know.

"Dr. Birdwood?"

"Yes. First day and he came down on her like a ton of bricks."

"I read her commonwealth scholarship application myself, very impressive..."

"Yes, very strong candidate, I agree." 'and your point?' he wonders.

"So, I think that if she can deal with alcohol-crazed Australian men in pain, then she can cope with our Mr. Spence, don't you?" He's about to ask her if they can continue this conversation later when his phone rings and he cancels the incoming call with a sigh. "The press. I'm still rather popular with a few of them, it seems." He explains to her

"Yes, I sympathise, but this friction between us..."

"I thought, you see, that you of all people, Ms. Campbell, would be the best person to help marshal and finely tune the resources here," 'and keep your head down until the trouble passes' he adds silently.

"Yes and I will, but..." Hanssen is surprised by the reactions Serena herself and this conversation have generated in him and to hide his confusion he acts as if he is losing his temper. Part of him wants to distance himself from her and her grievances until this storm has passed.

"So how you and Mr. Spence mesh is of no interest to me whatsoever." He tries not to react when he catches sight of a small wince from her. "I do hope I've made myself clear."

As he strides away, Hanssen regrets his excessively sharp tone but he doesn't want to be seen to be caving in. He'll find Serena later, apologise if he has to and finally get round to explaining his motivations for the transfer. It is vital that the senior staff present a united front for Mr. Cunningham.

* * *

"Mr. Hanssen?" Nurse Lane interrupts his scrutiny of the young boy in the bed in front of him and he looks up. "Ms. Campbell's outside, she says it's important." 'Important is never good', Hanssen thinks to himself but he can't avoid her.

"Alright," he confirms to the nurse and turns to Dr. Birdwood, "one moment please." He strides out of the side room and finds Ms. Campbell glaring at him, his spirits sink as he realises that she is somehow aware of Dylan's mum back in the hospital after being thrown out.

He approaches her, not wanting to fight this battle now but Serena beats him to the punch, she turns, still glaring at him and heads off the ward. Hanssen sighs to himself and he follows her to the stairwell, just off Keller. He waits patiently while Serena berates him for his stupid decision to allow the woman back into the hospital after her actions.

Seemingly aware that her angered approach isn't having any effect, the fight appears to leave her and she sounds concerned; Hanssen doesn't meet her eyes, reminding himself that this is likely to be a manipulation attempt. He hopes she doesn't draw a parallel between his own attack and that of Dr. Birdwood and the subsequent treatment of their attackers.

"Add that to the media stunts you've pulled recently and you can see why I'm concerned about your decision making. I think you need a break." Hanssen turns back to look at Serena before resuming his glare at the floor.

"May I remind you, until such time I am informed otherwise, I am still your boss." He can see her exasperated actions out of the corner of his eye and he wonders if he misread her concern. She looks as if she wants to bash his head against the wall but he isn't certain whether it is to knock some sense into him or hard enough to get him out of the picture. He sighs imperceptibly, forcing himself not to respond any further, Hanssen suspects that the 'advice' from Ms. Campbell is just as much for her benefit as it is for his. Manoeuvring him out of the way so that Serena can take a stab at replacing him as CEO and Director of Surgery. He is glad he didn't say that out loud to her, considering his attack and her role in his recovery, it would have been a most unfortunate turn of phrase.

"I'm only looking out for your and frankly the hospital's best interests." He is glad that his phone has started to ring, it allows him to sidestep her comment and not respond with something they'll both regret or react to.

"Excuse me, I have to take this," Hanssen states, glad for the opportunity it allows him to turn away from Serena, hoping that she will take a hint and leave but is not surprised when she plants her heels and stands her ground. "Henrik Hanssen." He answers, not recognising the number on his phone's display but glad for the respite from Serena's interfering.

He listens carefully to his caller's voice; their words in a language he hasn't spoken properly for too long but he automatically and effortlessly slips back into thinking in his mother tongue. He is vaguely aware that Serena is stood behind him but in light of the information he is hearing, she barely registers.

The call itself lasted less than a minute and Hanssen finds himself confirming that he has understood the message. "Jag forstord."

He's a doctor, a damn good one and he knows what the call means; it both complicates and simplifies matters. He feels no regret at missing the board's summons in a few hours – he has more important matters to attend to. "Jag komme sofort jag kann," he informs the lady on the other end of the line, his voice barely louder than a whisper, ignoring her thanks as he hangs up, returning his phone to the pocket it came from.

"Everything ok?" Although he gives no outward response, Serena's gentle inquiry brings him suddenly back to his current location. He takes a moment more to compose himself, trying not to allow the maelstrom of emotions overrun his mask. He is still considering his answer when a hand, he presumes it's Serena's, makes its way gently to his shoulder blade and comes to rest on the same places as before. He tries to suppress his inevitable flinch and is only partially successful.

He takes a moment to savour the warmth of the physical contact, accepting a modicum of comfort, taking the opportunity to reorientate himself, currently requiring the stability more than anything else. "I should go."

If he wasn't so dazed, Hanssen would have laughed at himself, his whispered words sound pitiful to his own ears and he doesn't wish to contemplate how he sounds to Ms. Campbell. He steps away from his colleague and moves silently up the stairs without looking at her, his initial destination uncertain.

"Henrik." He hears Serena call after him but doesn't respond and is relieved when she lets him go and doesn't follow or press him for an answer. As before, in his office after his attack, he is likely to reveal much more than he wants to.

* * *

His focus is broken by the voice announcing that his flight to Stockholm is ready to begin boarding and along with the other occupants of the airport lounge he mechanically gathers his belongings. Hanssen knows that Serena will contact him and he hopes that it will be to apologise for her actions. Until he received Ric's text this morning he would have instantly answered her call, now however, he feels inclined to let her stew and make her work for his forgiveness. He puts his still unopened bottle of water into his bag and rises, heading towards the gate with his passport and boarding pass in one hand.


End file.
